Once again it’s time for the developers of mobile devices to really show us what they’ve got with new and improved products at Mobile World Congress. This year’s event in Barcelona is already confirmed to be the showcase for the new Microsoft HoloLens 2, the LG L8, OnePlus’ 5G prototype, and the Huawei Mate X, notable for its foldability.
Huawei, despite its place in the news for more political/economic reasons, is really coming out as a top dog at this year’s MWC due to the foldable, 5G connectivity included, Mate X. But foldable phones and 5G aren’t the only notable announcements. These are some of the top product spotlights and announcements from MWC.
LG DualScreen
LG’s reply to the mad dash towards foldable phones is a second screen that can attach, essentially via a folio case, to the new LG V50, which is LG’s first 5G phone. Verge writer Vlad Savov got to go hand on with the new system. Read his experiences here.
Sony Xperia 1
The Xperia 1 is said to be the top phone for film and is one of Sony’s best phones, but that’s because it looks totally different than every other phone. No notch, no 5G, and no foldable design, but it does boast an extra tall screen, three cameras, and a 4K HDR OLED ultra-wide 21:9 display.
Microsoft HoloLens 2
Even though MWC is a very phone heavy event, Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 is a big point of conversation. The upgraded HoloLens 2 is a lighter, more sleek and comfortable mixed reality headset that has a larger field of view, and is much more powerful. The designed for business headset clocks in at $3,500, versus the $5,000 price tag of its original counterpart.
Nokia 9 PureView
Nokia is also making waves this year, with more than one new phone changing the game. Their most exciting phone is the Nokia 9 PureView, which is leapfrogging the MWC trend of having three rear cameras and is outfitted with five rear cameras. This ultra-powerful phone camera system could even replace some real cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S10
The Samsung family is really a huge presence at MWC, as the S10e, the S10 and the S10+ are all surpassing what has come before, with faster performance, larger and sharper screens, bigger, more powerful batteries, and more camera power. See a hands-on look that Mashable did with the three S10 phones here.
The tech world is kicking the new year off right with the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Here, the curtain was pulled back on some of the major trends that are expected to emerge this year, including AI, improved self-driving cars, gaming, 5G technology and more. The four-day event also hosted many keynotes from speakers from Verizon, IBM, AT&T among others.
These were some of the top picks for new tech at CES this year
Sphero Specdrums
Apps and toys to teach children, or even adults to code, are not new, but Sphero has developed a way that may be irresistible for anyone. The Sphero Specdrums work like this: use the app to assign sounds to each color. These sounds can be beats, loops, musical notes, or even just a sound. Then with the silicone ring tap on the colored playpad or record your own sounds and capture your own colors to play on the world around you.
FenSens
Make your car an intelligent, autonomous car with the FenSens rear-mounted easy to install sensor and app that can warn you if there’s something too close to your vehicle.
KitchenAid Smart Display
This isn’t the first Google Assistant enabled display, but this might be the first one you aren’t worried about having in your kitchen. The KitchenAid Smart Display has a 10–inch screen and the specs you’d expect to find in a smart speaker, but also is IPX5 water and dust resistant, so you can spill near in, drop food on it, anything you’d expect to happen while cooking. The company even suggests that you can wash it in your sink if the need arises.
Samsung GEMS-H
The Gait Enhancing Motivational System (or GEMS) is Samsung’s line of assistive wearable concepts. The GEMS-H is a lightweight lower-body exoskeleton that helps aid in mobility and can even add resistance for injury rehabilitation
FenSens
Make your car an intelligent, autonomous car with the FenSens rear-mounted easy to install sensor and app that can warn you if there’s something too close to your vehicle.
Bell Nexus
Uber and Bell Helicopter partnered with other parties to develop the Bell Nexus, which is essentially an air taxi. The concept goes along with Uber’s goal of launching and on-demand air service by 2023.
BotBoxer
For the techie that is also into fitness, BotBoxer is the answer to the Peloton trend of smart exercise. A punching bag on a stick that is loaded with motion and pressure sensors as well as analytics that can determine your body position and predict where your hits will be so it can react to your movements.
Otter+ Pop Symmetry Series
The convenience of a Popsocket with the safety of an Otterbox case. The Otter + Pop symmetry series lets you maximize your phone with easy swapping of Pop Sockets for personalization.
Royale FlexPai
The first genuine foldable smartphone isn’t really a smartphone at all, it’s a compact tablet with a 7.8 inch display that when doubled over and folded is a fully functional smartphone. It’s not perfected yet, but it is a glance at things to come on the innovation front.
Samsung 75-inch MicroLED TV “The Wall”
Samsung’s first MicroLED TV was introduced last year at CES, but that was mostly to show what was coming. Now, the technology is something that you can have in your own home. The 75 inch TV is going to be massively expensive but will have all the near-perfect picture quality as OLED without the feared durability issues.
BreadBot
While kitchen devices are nothing new to CES, but the enormous BreadBot may be more for bakery usage. The huge appliance says it can make 10 loaves of bread every hour.
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain is a huge event, and it seems as though excitement behind the tech showcase isn’t stopping anytime soon. From the Galaxy S9 to new laptops, this is what MWC attendees got to encounter this year.
The Galaxy ecosystem has stayed pretty consistent in the designs the last few years, but the new flagship phone is freshened up with new features, from AR Emojis to low light photography, there is something for everyone, both on a fun and practical wavelength.
Huawei does not have new phones that were released at this event, but the tech company did show off the MateBook X Pro, an impossibly thin machine with an all screen display, a webcam that can be stored within the keyboard, and specs that rival those of the MacBook Pro.
5G
5G has been thrown around as a buzzword for a few years now, but this year the hype was real. It sounds like we can expect to see carriers deploying the service and devices with 5G capabilities later this year.
Feeding into 90s nostalgia HMD’s Nokia 8110 slider phone is a call back to the Matrix’s banana phones, only this time with 4G and social media. Not to worry, you can still play Snake on this classic redux.
The iPhone X was a key influence for smartphone design this year, from the software to the infamous notch on the top of the screen. Asus new Zenfone iteration, the Zenfone 5, is almost an identical twin of the iPhone X on the hardware side, but at half the price. The new model boasts a Snapdragon 845 processor, and a headphone jack, making it a powerful addition to the Zen ecosystem.
We are in the midst of one of the biggest tech events of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show or CES. Held this year from January 9-12 in Las Vegas, CES is a stage where those in the business of consumer technologies come to showcase and explore emerging technologies and innovators. Past years have brought us the reveal of self-driving cars, VR headsets, and smart thermostats, and this year’s presentations have continued to shake up the tech industry. These are some of the standout products this year.
Sony Aibo
Nearly a decade after the release of its first robotic pet, Sony warmed the hearts of the tech world with its newest iteration, the Sony Aibo. This adorable robotic puppy “grows” it’s personality from a puppy to an adult dog and it can learn new commands and tricks when paired with the Aibo app. See how it works here.
LG Rollable OLED TV
LG’s follow-up to its 2016 rollable 18-inch display panel certainly lines up with the futuristic innovations you expect to see at CES. The all-new LG product is a much larger one, at 65 inches, with a 4K resolution and a crisp OLED screen. Read The Verge’s take for more information.
Samsung “The Wall” TV
The Wall is Samsung’s newest MicroLED based on their Cinema Screen technology (used in movie theaters) The Wall is scaled down for home use, but is still a whopping 146 inches (more than 10 feet wide and nearly 6 feet tall) and could continue to grow in size because of its modular nature. Read more about The Wall here.
Peloton Tread
Fitness company Peloton is known for their indoor cycling training, with instructors hosting videos that can be live streamed or viewed on demand. But the boutique fitness class disruptor is branching out and announced its newest product, the Peloton Tread. The Tread is an all-new high-end treadmill (which will retail for $3,995) that is designed to include more than just running. Peloton Tread classes also include circuit and weight training, hiking, walking and mat exercises. See how it works here.
Razer Mamba HyperFlux
Wireless charging mouse pads are one of the top accessories in the gaming world, and Razer’s new Mamba HyperFlux Mouse and Firefly HyperFlux mouse pad are just one of a few different versions of this concept showcased at CES. This updates two existing Razer products to be lighter, more streamlined and more competitive than before. Read why in this feature from The Verge.
L’Oreal UV Sense
Wearable technology is constantly evolving, and now, beauty brand L’Oreal is shaking things up at CES. The UV Sense sensor is a 2mm thick, 9mm diameter, battery-free button that can fit on a fingernail and monitors how much sun exposure you are getting. The device has an adhesive that can be reused. UV Sense works alongside a mobile app and compiles data for users using NFC technology. Read more about this tiny sensor here.
Perhaps our first real familiarity with the idea of smarthomes originated in pop culture, The Jetsons, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Disney Channel’s “Smart House” (1999). But now our perception has changed to a more realistic view.
Automated home security, lights, audio systems and more are all possibilities of the present.
So you have a smart home hub like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, but how do you use it to control all of these things? If you are looking to venture into the world of automation within the home these are some good places to start.
The Apple Home Kit
If you are an Apple product fan you may want to try out the Apple Home Kit. This hub allows you to control all compatible smart home products (lights, shades, thermostat, locks, outlets, garage doors, security systems and more) remotely from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple TV. Unfortunately if you are more of an Android fan, this isn’t for you.
Phillips Hue Wireless Dimming Kit
This white light dimming kit itself cannot pair with the Echo or and other larger set-up without the purchase of the Phillips Hue Bridge, but if you are looking for an easy way to control up to 10 lights per remote without setting up or using a hub, this is the way to go. This easy to install and customizable kit is a great first step into home automation.
Lutron Serena Remote Controlled Shades
These smart shades are pricey, but they are easy to use and to install. However, as far as smart capabilities go these shades are lacking in a few key areas. They can be programmed to open and close at certain times, but if you would like them to conserve heat and open and close based on temperature you have to use a third party app. These shades are compatible with Siri, and use the Apple Home Kit and the Caseta Bridge plug, but as anyone knows Siri is very particular and doesn’t always work to it’s full potential. While the shades have cons, they are also compatible with a longer list of other smart home products than many other smart shades.
Nest Home Accessories: Learning Thermostat, Smoke and CO Alarm, Indoor and Outdoor Cameras
All of these accessories are able to be set up in a larger hub using Google Home and Amazon Echo. The thermostat works with your schedules and learns your patterns to save you energy and money. With it’s smart eco-friendly temperature alerts and sleek design, Nest’s thermostat is both effective and attractive. In the same regard, the smoke and CO alarm is able to send notifications to your phone, identify fast and slow burning fires and locate where CO leaks are in your home. And perhaps the most impressive, the indoor and outdoor cameras are able to record, use intercom, and, with a subscription fee for Nest Aware you can access your video history up to 30 days later. You will also get alerts on your phone when the camera sees a person, and never lose power, as the cameras plug in rather than use battery power.
Blink Home Security System
If the idea of wired in home security sounds like too much for you, the Blink system is small but effective. These tiny battery powered cameras have a guaranteed battery life of two years, and replacing the batteries is easy, as they are powered by replaceable AA Lithium batteries. Motion detection, temperature sensors, Echo compatibility and tons of other features have put this home security system on the radar of CNN, Business Insider, Forbes and tons of other publications.
With the addition of these products into your home the smarthome once only referenced in pop culture is closer than you think.
This year was a big year for advances in technology, so you may have gotten the gift of a brand new gadget that you have no idea how to use or how to get the full potential out of. Here are some of this year’s biggest gifts and how you can use them.
Google Home
These home assistant speakers can be the first step into turning your home into a smart home. Google Assistant speaks to all of your internet enabled devices, plays music, uses Google’s wealth of information to help you answer almost any question, as well as give you updates for the things that you care about including weather, traffic reports and upcoming events. When combined with other smart devices (Nest, Chromecast, Hue by Phillips) you can have your google assistant turn off or turn down lights, change the temperature of your home or even change what is showing on your TV.
Amazon Echo/Echo Dot
Amazon’s home assistant speakers utilize Amazon’s Alexa to control your home. The Echo is a dedicated speaker, with top of the line audio quality, whereas the Echo Dot has all of the functionality, just with a smaller speaker, for those that may own a great sound system already. With these you can connect via bluetooth and play your music from any source.
Fully integrated with Amazon, you can order from Prime as well as track those orders, use other smart devices to control almost anything in your home, and even order an Uber or a pizza from Dominos.
Smart Watches
Every watch has different specs, but one thing is true for all of the newest smartwatches: the designs are becoming much more attractive. Let smartwatches control your phone, send messages and emails, play music, answer phone calls, report the weather, give you reports on the elements and even track your fitness.
Fitness Trackers
The ever popular FitBit and it’s many competitors are absolutely one of the more popular gifts over the last few years, so it may not be a surprise if you found one of these in your hands this year. With tons of different features and specs, different models fit different people based on the type of athletics pursued and how fashionable one wants to look while tracking steps, heart rate, sleep patterns and a multitude of other statistics.
Drones
Drone technology will continue to grow and change, but the current models do live up to the hype surrounding them. Take videos, photos, practice just flying around. Just make sure you know if there are FAA regulations surrounding the model of drone you have, as this can cause you to need to register your drone, or limit the areas where you are permitted to fly.
Google is well-known for working on highly exploratory products and services. From internet-carrying balloons to cars that drive themselves, and everything in between. One such innovation is Tango, developed by a team led by computer scientist Johnny Lee, a core contributor to Microsoft‘s Kinect, which is part of the same ATAP division that’s currently working on bringing us the first truly modular smartphone.
With the recent announcement from Lenovo that its first Tango-equipped phone is finally on the market, you’re probably curious as to exactly what it is.
To explain Tango in its most basic form: it’s giving devices the ability to see and understand their surroundings in a similar way to how we do. That means building a custom set of sensors and a processor that can connect the various sources of information, and understand it all.
There are three main parts to the Tango technology. First is the motion tracking technology. Using a motion tracking camera, 3D depth sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope and GPS, a Project Tango-compatible device can tell where it is, and how it’s moving within a specific space or area and which way it’s pointing.
When combined with the second and third features, depth perception and area learning, it can understand the space you’re moving with great accuracy. So if you’re holding it while walking through a narrow corridor and turn a corner, it remembers where you’ve come from and tracks where you’re going. It can even tell where the walls are, and how close you are to specific objects.
Perhaps more impressive within the depth perception is that it can tell whether an object is small and close, or far away and large. It calculates both distance between you and the object, the object’s size, and where it sits in relation to other items in the area
Together, these generate data about the device in “six degrees of freedom” (3 axes of orientation plus 3 axes of motion) and detailed three-dimensional information about the environment.
How To Use Tango
There are a couple of key uses for this kind of technology that Google has listed so far. For the average consumer, augmented realityis going to be one of the biggest draws for this technology. Because its sensors are so advanced, it can use the cameras to detect the surroundings, and then place virtual items in the scene in relation to the real life physical objects. So, you could see, virtually, how a desk or coffee table in a room to see how it would look, or more interactive gamified items.
There are a few games already developed for Project Tango, one of which is called Bullseye’s Playground which essentially builds an entirely virtual 3D world modelled on a building’s physical layout. Users can then interact with characters or throw snowballs and find various surprises on the way. Google partnered with Target in the States to offer an in-store experience to its walk-in customers using this app.
Project Tango will also let users measure objects accurately. You could measure a table, as an example, using augmented reality to draw a joining line between one end and the other. And, because of its motion tracking and area learning technology, you don’t have to hold the device completely still. It can recognize and measure an object regardless of how far away it is, or even if you move during measuring.
What’s more, because it can detect surfaces and knows and measure angles etc. it knows how, and what angle, to place the virtual objects. As a basic example, it knows how to orientate a virtual object to lie on a horizontal surface, like the floor, and it can place items on a vertical surface, like a wall or a chair leg. You can also move your device any which way because it remembers where those surfaces were and where you placed the virtual items.
Tango can also be used to accurately map indoor locations, potentially expanding Google Maps’ knowledge to reach inside buildings. So if you’re in a particularly huge shopping centre and it’s been mapped using Google’s Tango, you can easily find your way using your smartphone.
From a business and enterprise standpoint, Tango could be incredibly useful for estate agents, building surveyors, architects or interior designers who want a more visual way to measure buildings.
Supported Devices
As of right now, there are two devices available to buy with Tango support, and that’s the tablet development kit and the Lenovo Phab2 Pro smartphone. The tablet isn’t the most impressive device spec-wise, but it’s been made primarily so that developers can build apps and programs that make the most of the project’s capabilities.
With the Phab 2 Pro, which is now selling for $499, Lenovo and Google are trying to prove that AR can and should become an integral component of modern smartphones. Lee thinks of Tango’s technology much like GPS, which transformed the utility of mobile phones and, years later, helped give birth to services like Uber. If augmented reality is equally transformative in letting our devices understand physical spaces and “see” the world, it could help reshape entire industries, from gaming to retail to real estate.
Until there’s more devices out there with Tango tech, and that’s not happening until next year, at least, this all feels very much like an experimental test phase for AR. But developers don’t seem too discouraged. That’s both because Pokémon Go proved there’s an appetite for these type of mobile experiences, and Google is convinced it’s only a matter of time before every phone makes the jump to 3D mapping.
“This is something that is not going to go away,” says Legacy Games CEO Ariella Lehrer, whose company is making a kid-friendly zombie game called Crayola Color Blaster. “This ability to understand space is coming, and I think the market is going to be very large.”
